Mental Health Issues ,People With Mental Health Problems

Mental health can be confusing. First of all most people are ignorant as to the nature of mental illness and the issues surrounding mental health in general. Consequently there is still, despite massive awareness campaigns in an effort to educate the public, stigmatisation and judgement towards people suffering from a mental health problem.

People with mental health problems are suffering not only as a result of the mental health problem itself, but also as a result of lack of understanding from those around them. It can wreak havoc with their personal lives, relationships, career and quality of life in general.

The simple truth is that anyone can develop a mental health problem at any time. Children, adolescents, adults and the elderly of both sexes can all develop a mental health problem. It doesn’t matter what your social status or background is you can still develop a mental health problem.

Mental health problems can develop suddenly with little or no warning or can develop slowly over a period of time. No two individuals will show the same set of symptoms for the same mental health problem to the same degree.

Mental health problems are also very common, affecting around a quarter of the population at any one time. You would think that this would lead to a better understanding on the part of the public but unfortunately it hasn’t, although improvements are being made all the time.

Mental illness is still a taboo subject for many people which can prevent them from seeking the help they need. Many also mistakenly believe that people with mental health problems can snap out of it, they can’t.

No one knows what causes a mental health problem although several triggers have been identified which include genetic, biological, social, psychological and environmental factors.

No one can predict who is going to develop a mental health problem. Even if you are considered to be in a high risk group, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop a mental health problem. Similarly even if you are not in a high risk group, it doesn’t mean that you won’t.

There is no test that will conclusively diagnose a mental health problem in an individual so any diagnosis relies purely on subjective responses and observation of the symptoms along with a full analysis of an individual’s medical history and personal circumstances in order to rule out any other potential cause of the symptoms.

On saying that, great progress has been made into understanding mental health issues and new research constantly highlights better ways of treating people with mental health problems. For example, the development of sophisticated imaging scans has shed light on what is going on in the brains of people suffering with mental illness, which will ultimately lead to better treatment methods in the future.

These are just a few of the mental health issues surrounding mental health today but they are big ones. Only by educating ourselves and those around us can we hope to create a better, safer and more understanding society for us all.